A 43-YEAR-OLD man accused of the murder of his partner's son, who died following a fatal stabbing last year, has been let out on €15,000 bail.

Father-of-one Dean Fitzpatrick (23) was found at an apartment at Burnell Square, Northern Cross, on the Malahide Road, Dublin 5, and was rushed to Beaumont Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Dean, originally from Donaghmede in Dublin, was the brother of missing teenager Amy Fitzpatrick, who vanished in Spain six years ago.

Dave Mahon, a former estate agent from Dublin who has been living in Spain with his partner Audrey Fitzpatrick, Dean and Amy's mother, had been questioned by gardai last year but he was released as a file on the investigation was prepared for the DPP.

Last Wednesday, he was remanded in custody after he was formally charged with the murder of his partner's son.

Detective Garda Brendan Meares had then told Dublin District Court that the 43-year-old was "handed a true copy of the charge and made no reply after caution".

Due to the nature of the charge, he had to bring his bail application to a High Court sitting at Cloverhill yesterday.

Defence counsel Aoife O'Leary told Mr Justice Paul Butler that there was consent to bail being set for Mr Mahon, whose address had been listed on his charge as The Crescent, Ongar Village, Clonsilla, Dublin 15. The barrister said the terms had been agreed and Mr Mahon was to be granted bail in his own bond of €10,000, of which €1,000 had to be lodged.

She also said that it had been approved that the defendant's father, Michael Mahon, would also act as an independent surety in the sum of €5,000.

There was no objection by the State to conditional bail.

Ms O'Leary said her client would have to reside at Lorcan Drive, in Santry in Dublin, and would "sign on daily between 9am and 9pm" at his local garda station. He must "notify gardai of any change of address" and has already surrendered his passport, the judge heard.

Prosecution counsel Garrett McCormack also said there was consent to bail on these terms.

He will face his next hearing at Cloverhill District Court tomorrow but has not yet formally indicated how he will plead, and a book of evidence has yet to be completed.